FABRIZIO DE ANDRÉ + PFM IN CONCERTO VOL. 2

There was already an album released fom these live sessions in Bologna and Florence a year prior to this release. In the meantime, Fabrizio de André was kidnapped and ransomed in Sardinia. Some sources confirm that the ransom was paid and that André needed to raise funds to financially recover from this painful affair.

As De Andrè states in some interviews he was helped by his father in finding the money, and had to start a tour shortly after the release of the "Indiano" album to repay him. But some other sources either do not mention this payment or say that no ransom was paid. I would tend more to believe the former version, so make up your mind".

Due to these circumstances, I see nothing wrong in the release of this second offering since I fully understand how desperate one has to be after such an adventure. So, this is not the reason of my low rating (in comparison with all those four/five stars ratings).

It is just that, musically, this album has nothing to do with "PFM". What we get here is a bunch of folk songs out of Fabrizio's repertoire and played by "PFM", which is significantly different.

The worst experience is definitely "Durango". A sort of mariachi folkish song. I might enjoy this during very scarce occasions (i.e. when I go back to my second home country and paying a visit to my step family in Mexico) but not while listening to an album in which "PFM" is featured. I knew already that this album would have very little "PFM" relation but this is a bit too much.

This live album is very short (38 minutes). On top of this there is a "presentation" of the band which lasts for about four minutes. Since the band rehearsed some thirty songs out of Fabrizio's catalogue, I guess that it should have een possible to get more music out of these concerts.

Not that I am particularly keen on listening to this but Fabrizio's fans would have been interested, I guess. Unlike the previous album, there won't be any jewel of the calibre of" Amico Fragile" on this one.

Pure Italian folk music. Doesn't really belong here, I'm afraid. Musicians are not the problem of course. Only the music they play. Two stars (and I'm doing an effort).